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Use Lights at Night
About half the adults killed while bicycling in the US were riding after dark without lights. To ride after dark safely you must be visible to both traffic approaching from behind and traffic in front of you that must yield to you. Bicycles are not sold with equipment that makes them safe or lawful to ride after dark!
Motorists Must See You from Behind
Drivers must be able to see you at a distance to have sufficient time to avoid you. You should use a light and a reflector. Reflectors alone are often not bright enough, but are useful as a backup if your light fails. Mass. law requires a red rear light or reflector and pedal reflectors or ankle bands, all of which should be visible from 600 feet when in front of motor vehicle headlamps. Red LEDs are very visible and last many hours on batteries. With non-flashing (steady) LEDS it's easier for approaching drivers to judge distance. A large, flat yellow reflector, available in auto parts stores, is much brighter than the nearly-useless reflectors which come with new bicycles.
Motorists Must See You Approaching
 In any situation in which motorists must yield to you, they must be able to see you, for example, when turning left, pulling out of a parking space or driveway, or at a stop or yield sign. Their headlights will not be pointing at you, as shown in the diagram. You need a headlight to be seen. A front reflector is nearly useless. Mass. State law requires a white light visible from 500 feet. Generator lights may be used.
Headlight options include:
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Simple battery-powered headlights ($15 and up). Now largely superseded by LEDs.
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LED headlights ($20 to $35, but last 50 times longer per set of batteries than incandescent bulbs). Probably the best option for riding where there are street lights.
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High-power rechargeable battery lights ($80 and up).
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Generator lights ($40 and up). These can be tricky to install yourself.
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Riding in Traffic
Traffic Basics
Obey Your Signals
Don't Get Doored
Road Hazards
Make It Turn Green
Stay Away from Trucks
Use Lights at Night
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